


Queen Vanessa (Nightmares and Dreamscapes)

by frog_dad16



Series: Nightmares and Dreamscapes AU [1]
Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:14:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26921221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frog_dad16/pseuds/frog_dad16
Summary: After losing his memory, Francis Nolan decided to enter the forbidden manor. However, he ends up living a day as a child.
Series: Nightmares and Dreamscapes AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964254
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Queen Vanessa (Nightmares and Dreamscapes)

He knew he wasn’t supposed to be out. He knew he shouldn’t be doing this. He had to do this, he had to gain his memories back. Francis carefully crept out of bed, grabbing his socks before putting on his boots. He threw on his raincoat and grabbed his umbrella before climbing down his ladder and running into the rain. He knew that Snatcher was either asleep or out on patrol of the forest. Francis was smart enough to leave a decoy body for his dad to look at.   
The Forbidden Bridge, as Snatcher called it, connected his part of the forest to her. Francis ran over and quickly jumped across the bridge, running further into the snow. He rang the bell and was let through the wall. He went through the path, soon finding the old wrought iron fence that had been knocked over many times before. He took a deep breath before heading towards the large wooden, rotting manor. Snow fell down from the sky, gracefully dancing in the air like it was on stage. Francis admired the beauty of the frozen wasteland but quickly could feel the emptiness that resided within the icy dome.   
He walked to the front door, only to find it completely blocked by snow. For some reason, the manor seemed familiar to him despite the foreign feeling that it gave him. He walked to the back, finding the cellar doors. They swung open, like they were expecting him but there was no one there to greet him. He collected the 3 pons that were outside the door before walking down but tripping on the last step and hitting the basement floor with a thud. 

When Francis woke up, he was greeted by daylight peering into the cellar. He was a lot smaller too, only the height of a barrel. He got up, brushing himself off.   
“Jackie? Jackie?” A woman’s voice called for him before a young blonde woman with emerald green eyes came down and rushed over to him. “Oh, Jack. You got a cut on your face...did the village boys pick on you again?”  
“No, Mommy,” He felt the words come out of his mouth. He soon was picked up by the woman, holding him against her soft green dress.   
“You can tell me anything, you know that,” She said, every word that came out of her cherry red lips was comforting to the young boy. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail and she was dressed in a green dress with short sleeves, an apron on the skirt and darker green trimming on the edges of it. “Or would you rather talk to Daddy about it?”  
“Mommy, there’s nothing to say,” He insisted, “I just wanna play inside now,”  
“Alright, baby. Daddy’s gonna be home soon from the library,” She carried him up the stairs and to his room before leaving him. She returned with a bandage for his face. “Where’s your brother?” She asked as she rubbed the dirt off of his face with her thumb.   
“Miles took the kitty somewhere,” Francis quietly said, letting his mom bandage him. He closed his eyes...and suddenly it was later in the day. He couldn’t exactly discern why, but his face was tear stained and red. He could hear the woman and some other person arguing.   
“Vanessa, I love you and would agree with you on most things but this is ridiculous! He has serious issues and I’m quite worried about Francis and the baby that’s coming!”  
“He doesn’t need therapy! You’re just trying to pawn him off because he’s going through a phase where he doesn’t like you so much!”  
“A phase isn’t murdering animals! A phase is when you dress differently, not killing a cat! Do I need to remind you of when he tried to drop Francis out of the attic window?!”  
“Tobias! You’re so insistent that he’s insane!”  
“I’m not saying that he’s insane! I’m saying that he’s troubled and needs someone to talk to! He probably doesn’t feel safe talking to us because he’s scared of the consequences!”  
“Because you’re scaring him! You’re going to convince him that he’s insane!”  
“I am not going to do that!”  
They fell silent again when they heard the crying. They hadn’t even considered the fact that their 3 year old son was in the next room over, supposedly asleep. They had woken him up, they had scared him to death. Without another word, Tobias went into the small bedroom, seeing the sobbing boy and picking him up. “Shhhh, it’s gonna be okay, buddy. Daddy’s here,”  
“Hey, baby. We’re here...don’t be scared. Everything’s okay,” Vanessa touched her son’s back, trying to comfort him.   
Through sobs, he choked out, “M-Miles did it. M-Miles cuts me...M-Miles takes my toys...M-Miles gave me the purple flowers in the soup…”. 

“Who’s there?! Who dares enter my home?!” Those words interrupted his thoughts. All at once, Jack felt the memories of being in the cellar a year ago made him shudder. That woman that haunted the cursed manor, that was his mother. He couldn’t move but as he heard her footsteps making their way down the stairs, he bolted for the nearest hiding spot. He peered out from behind a barrel, seeing a large shadowy figure loom over a stack of barrels that were likely full of wine. His breath was shaky, his heart pounding so hard that it could explode inside his chest. The silence was so loud, he couldn't take it. The queen, Queen Vanessa, broke it finally by saying. "Where are you, little girl? I know it's you," She called out, her voice almost comforting. "Come out,".  
Jack wasn't about to chance the idea of Vanessa finding him. It was his mother but she was so determined to hurt him when she found him last year. He held his breath, his hands clutched into fists so tightly that his knuckles were snow white. The queen began to search the basement, her eyes searching for the intruder. Tears pricked at the corner of Jack's eyes, his heart pounding. He wished that she would be dumb enough to just get up and leave but something else saved him. A creak from upstairs snapped Vanessa's attention away, sending her racing up the stairs to find them. If he was going to escape, it had to be now. He bolted for the door, running as fast as he could. He wasn't looking back, he wasn't going to ever go back there. He jumped over the ravine and barely landed on the other side of the bridge. He knew he would have to face his father's wrath, but anything was better than facing his mother and her wrath.


End file.
